Running with the Devilshttp://runningwiththedevils.com
A New Jersey Devils BlogFri, 03 Jul 2015 21:24:41 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3Welcome John Hyneshttp://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/welcome-john-hynes.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=welcome-john-hynes
http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/welcome-john-hynes.html#commentsFri, 03 Jul 2015 10:17:24 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2506The Devils finally have their new head coach and are any of us surprised that new GM Ray Shero went with a familiar face? There were a lot of rumors and a lot of speculation as to the man that Shero would bring in but John Hynes makes sense. So if you don’t follow the […]]]>

The Devils finally have their new head coach and are any of us surprised that new GM Ray Shero went with a familiar face? There were a lot of rumors and a lot of speculation as to the man that Shero would bring in but John Hynes makes sense.

So if you don’t follow the AHL, you might be asking yourself, who is this guy?

Back in 2009, with the Pittsburgh Penguins struggling to make the playoffs, they brought up Dan Bylsma from their AHL affiliate (Wilkes Barre/Scranton) to help guide the Penguins into the playoffs, which we all know how that ended. Todd Reirden was named interim coach after Bylsma’s call up and eventually would take over as head coach. John Hynes was then brought in to be an assistant coach to Reirden. On July 31, 2010, the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins announced that Hynes would be the team’s new head coach, after Reirden was promoted to an assistant for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Under Hynes, the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins qualified for the playoffs in all five seasons, reaching the conference finals twice.

So why does the choice to make Hynes the Devils head coach make sense?

He’s a young coach and you would have to believe that he will relate well to the young players on the roster. Sure, you wonder if a guy like Elias will take direction from a man only a year older but Hynes is a good in-game coach and should be a breath of fresh air. (Besides, Elias is a team guy, he’ll get it.) He also has 5 years of experience in the AHL which means he comfortable with young players, which the Devils look to have a lot of next season. If you are into betting online, a wager on the Devils for next season might not be a bad idea!

He’s a defensive coach but not completely one-sided. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton gave up the fewest number of goals in the AHL this past season, but they also scored goals. The club’s goals-differential was plus 49. The Devils were a -33 last season for those keeping track. I’m one that believes in allowing head coaches to pick their staff but I do also hope the decision to keep Scott Stevens on the bench will be made, whether it’s made by Shero or Hynes.

No matter how you look at it, Hynes has a big challenge ahead of him but on the AHL level, he is a winner. In the 5 season behind the Penguins bench, he’s 231-126-27 with 5 straight playoff appearances which includes 2 trips to the conference finals.

We knew change was coming when Lamoriello stepped down as GM a few weeks ago. The hiring of Hynes to the organization and the words “fast, attacking and supportive” has me a little excited about what’s ahead for the New Jersey Devils.

]]>http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/welcome-john-hynes.html/feed0Thoughts on Lou Stepping Downhttp://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/thoughts-on-lou-stepping-down.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=thoughts-on-lou-stepping-down
http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/thoughts-on-lou-stepping-down.html#commentsTue, 12 May 2015 20:19:05 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2503So where are you on the Lou Lamoriello change within the Devils organization? You can’t take away what Lou Lamoriello has meant to the New Jersey Devils during his career as the President/GM (he will remain as President) but you also can’t dismiss what the last three years have been. Since the trip to the […]]]>

So where are you on the Lou Lamoriello change within the Devils organization? You can’t take away what Lou Lamoriello has meant to the New Jersey Devils during his career as the President/GM (he will remain as President) but you also can’t dismiss what the last three years have been.

Since the trip to the finals in 2012, Lou has been playing catch-up and an organization that was once the model and framework of what every NHL team wanted to be was no more. There was no big picture and frankly, there were no answers on how to fix what became so broken. At the beginning of the season, the Devils were so far from being a contender and it was obvious that Lou really didn’t have a plan on how to return the Devils to being a contender. Lou and the Devils got lucky with the Mike Cammalleri signing last summer as he proved to be a valuable asset. The trade that brought Corey Schneider to NJ was another genius move as Schneider’s value in NJ is through the roof but those few good moves are overshadowed by a bunch of bad moves.

Travis Zajac – paid like a top line center with $5.75 million per year until his contract expires in July of 2021. He had 18 goals in 2013-14 and just 11 goals last season. If he had racked up the numbers in the assist column, things would be ok but he had just 14 assists in 2014-15. He’s nothing more than a 3rd line center at best.

Ryan Clowe – an almost $5 million cap hit for the next 3 seasons, Clowe has spent the first 2 seasons of his 5 year deal basically unable to play hockey. He’s appeared in just 56 games over the last 2 seasons and had only 8 goals during his time in NJ. He’s a special case because constant head injuries have kept him off the ice but in the summer of 2013, the buzz about Ryane Clowe was that he was prone to head injuries and teams should stay away. NJ lost Clarkson, panicked and signed Ryane Clowe.

Patrik Elias – Signed a 3 year deal in the summer of 2013 that would pay him $5.5 million each year. He was once a dependable and clutch goal scorer but age has done away with that. No doubt his contract in 2013 was given to him because of what he had done, not because of what he would do – 18 and 13 goal seasons in the first two years of this deal. Looks like we have 8 goals to look forward to from Patrik Elias in 2015-16.

We could go on and on, especially about Lou’s decision to hang on to Michael Ryder and Martin Havlat at the 2015 trading deadline vs trading them for draft picks which he followed up by healthy scratching the two players for 95% of the post trade deadline games. Or the decision to pursue Ilya Kovalchuk in the summer of 2011 while alienating Zack Parise, both of whom do not play hockey for New Jersey.

Yes, Lou’s been a valuable asset to the New Jersey Devils since that day he took the GM job back in 1987 but the game has changed and while the Devils made a trip to the finals in 2012, the state of this team since that run can easily be described as “in shambles.” The time for change is here and while there’s a lot of criticism about Ray Shero inheriting a winner and not building a winner in Pittsburgh, I do believe he’s an intelligent GM that will bring in the right coach and the right guys to restore the Devils back to their winning ways.

]]>http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/thoughts-on-lou-stepping-down.html/feed0Ray Shero Named GMhttp://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/ray-shero-named-gm.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ray-shero-named-gm
http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/ray-shero-named-gm.html#commentsMon, 04 May 2015 20:08:43 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2488 More thoughts to come but Lou Lamoriello steps down as GM and names Ray Shero the new GM. Lamoriello will stay on as team President. Welcome aboard Ray, now bring Bylsma with you!! ]]>

More thoughts to come but Lou Lamoriello steps down as GM and names Ray Shero the new GM. Lamoriello will stay on as team President.

Welcome aboard Ray, now bring Bylsma with you!!

]]>http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/ray-shero-named-gm.html/feed0Would Devils Trade Away The 6th Overall Pick?http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/would-devils-trade-away-the-6th-overall-pick.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=would-devils-trade-away-the-6th-overall-pick
http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/would-devils-trade-away-the-6th-overall-pick.html#commentsThu, 23 Apr 2015 13:54:45 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2476After a season of frustration and disappointment, it doesn’t take a degree from Harvard to figure out that the New Jersey Devils need to make changes this summer. The Devils missed the playoffs for the third straight season and did so by a whopping 20 points this year. The Albany Devils missed the Calder Cup […]]]>

After a season of frustration and disappointment, it doesn’t take a degree from Harvard to figure out that the New Jersey Devils need to make changes this summer. The Devils missed the playoffs for the third straight season and did so by a whopping 20 points this year. The Albany Devils missed the Calder Cup Playoffs by only a couple of points but at the end of the day, they are also not a playoff team. Things need to change because the future outlook of this team looks bleak.

The Devils lost out on the Connor McDavid draft but did manage to walk away with the 6th overall pick so the obvious questions now are which players would you take with that 6th pick? But wait, hold the phone.

Now before you freak out, which it seems some people have, this was simply a response to a tweet sent out by Tom Guilitti and not really suggesting that the Devils were entertaining such a move. TG is right about one thing, the Devils COULD use their 6th overall pick to bring in a player that would have an immediate impact. Think back two years ago when the Devils sent their 9th overall pick to Vancouver for Schneider. People questioned that move but without Schneider this season, I’d hate to think how bad the Devils could have been. So while this tweet is out there, I don’t believe the Devils are looking at Phil Kessel at all.

But let’s entertain the thought because what else do Devils fans have to do right now? That trade, a 6th overall for Kessel would be a mistake. Now, much like the entire Leafs roster, Kessel had a down year in 2014-15 scoring only 25 goals. Usually he’s a mid-30 range goal scorer and while that is something any team would take, Kessel is the type of player that would do better in a role that didn’t feature him. Sure, the Leafs have names but Kessel is looked at to lead them. Bring him to NJ, that gets cranked up to 11.

He’s had coaches that have called him out on his conditioning, his worth ethic and his overall attitude. While 30-35 goals per season is something I would jump at in a second, Phil Kessel is not a player I would want to see in a Devils uniform next season.

If Lou shops the pick, it will be interesting to see what type of bites he gets. If Edmonton was willing to talk about moving Eberle or Yakupov, that might be a conversation I would be willing to entertain although a 6th overall pick seems kind of high.

There’s no question that Lou has a lot of work to do this summer and I certainly don’t envy the tough decisions he has to make but I honestly don’t believe Kessel is one he would be looking at.

]]>http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/would-devils-trade-away-the-6th-overall-pick.html/feed0Looking Back At A Disappointing 2014-15 Seasonhttp://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/looking-back-at-a-disappointing-2014-15-season.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=looking-back-at-a-disappointing-2014-15-season
http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/looking-back-at-a-disappointing-2014-15-season.html#commentsWed, 15 Apr 2015 15:37:12 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2472So as we sit here, waiting for the playoffs to start without the New Jersey Devils for the 3rd straight year, I thought now would be a great time to look back at the 2014-15 season. I’ll be honest, this was probably the most frustrating season I’ve watched in the history of being a Devils […]]]>

So as we sit here, waiting for the playoffs to start without the New Jersey Devils for the 3rd straight year, I thought now would be a great time to look back at the 2014-15 season.

I’ll be honest, this was probably the most frustrating season I’ve watched in the history of being a Devils fan. If you’re a team that is going through a rebuild process, missing the playoffs for a number of years during the process is expected and welcomed because all teams must go through this, unless you are Detroit. However, with the Devils, I can’t really tell if we are in a rebuilding process or not. The future doesn’t seem all that bright and there doesn’t appear to be a game plan on how to exactly restore credibility to this franchise. The way this team was built from training camp didn’t exactly make anyone feel the Devils would be successful and some of the moves not made at the trade deadline were just puzzling.

Goaltending

The Devils didn’t hand out any team awards at the conclusion of the season but I think you can easily say that Cory Schneider was the MVP of this team. At times he was nothing but brilliant and he kept the Devils in a lot of games. Had he had the benefit of having goal production from his offense, the Devils would have done much better. Still not a playoff team but they would have done better. He played 69 games which is right where I thought he’d be and ended up 15th overall with a .925 save percentage.

Keith Kinkaid was certainly a nice surprise in the backup role and the rumor is he will be sticking around next season in the same role.

Overall, goaltending was not the problem in New Jersey

Forwards

I think we can all agree that Mike Cammalleri was a welcomed addition to the New Jersey Devils as he notched 27 goals and 15 assists in 68 games. Unfortunately, he had very little help. I thought Henrique had a very down year although he had a huge number of assists. Elias is a fraction of the player he used to be and Zajac continues to prove that he is not worth the contract NJ gave him as he’s a 3rd line center at best. I thought Gomez played well once he was given a spot but his age and speed are a concern. I thought Bernier played really well throughout the year, much better than I had anticipated. The bottom line is the Devils need a guy or a line that can score and while there are rumors about Kovalchuk wanting to return to the NHL, the Devils need to address this in the next few months.

The forwards are also a slow bunch and in today’s NHL that’s not cutting it. Look at teams like Rangers and the Lightning who are loaded with speed. Speed gives you the ability to open the game up and allow your bigger players to go to the net. The Devils finished 28th in G/GP and that is something NJ really needs to fix.

The decision to hang on to Ryder and Havlat at the trading deadline only to healthy scratch them night after night is beyond mind boggling.

Defense

Where to start with this category is the question. I think NJ has a lot of defensemen that are very capable of being good in the future but aren’t there right now. The Devils are young on defense with guys like Larsson, Severson, Merrill and Gelinas. The Devils also dealt with a lot of injuries on defense as 10 different defenseman saw a minimum of 15 games this season. I thought Larsson had a good year and is starting to prove that he’s a guy that deserved to be drafted 5th overall. Severson had a decent year until he got hurt but I’d like to see more from Merrill. Gelinas is a guy with a tremendous shot but his defense liability isn’t something his shot can make up for. Either move him to the offense or move him to another team in exchange for something that will fix your offense. Greene is the best defenseman the Devils have and probably should have the “C” on his sweater next season. Harrold, Salvador and Fraser are guys that just need to go. When you look at GA/GP the Devils finished 14th overall which isn’t terrible at all (in fact a couple of playoff teams finished lower) but a lot of that I credit to Cory Schneider. The Devils did finish 24th overall when you look at SA/GP, which is something they will want to drastically improve on.

The Future

The future looks bleak to me at the moment because the Devils don’t appear to have much for the future. Sure, they will end up with a high draft pick in the 2015 Entry Draft (7.5% chance the win the Connor McDavid sweepstakes) but beyond that, they held on to guys at the trading deadline that may have gotten them a few more later round picks. Don’t under estimate late round picks since guys like Andrew Shaw, Dustin Byfuglien and Joe Pavelski were all late round picks and are valuable members to their clubs.

The coaching staff is very much in question for next season. I’m one that believes the Devils need an entirely new approach and need to move away from Scott Stevens and Adam Oates. In fact, you can’t deny what Lou Lamoriello did for the Devils during the cup years and while they did make it back to the Final in 2012, mostly what Lou has done for this team since the 2004-05 lockout hasn’t been for the better. NJ has lost a number of key guys over the last 3 summers and really did nothing to replace them. I would like Lou to retire and hand the keys over to a GM with different ideas but right now I don’t see that happening.

So to sum up the 2014-15 New Jersey Devils in one word, it would be “frustrating.” The Devils need to make big changes especially when you consider how competitive the Metro Division is. Four of the eight playoff teams came from the Metro division and Florida appears to be a team headed in the right direction. Columbus had a year full of injuries but their play to close out the season makes you believe that they are headed in the right direction and will be a playoff team next season. Sad to say, without making some serious changes, I could see New Jersey hitting the golf course early again next season.

]]>http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/looking-back-at-a-disappointing-2014-15-season.html/feed0Devils Close Out 2015 Season With Chance To Play Spoiler Against Rangershttp://runningwiththedevils.com/uncategorized/devils-close-out-2015-season-with-chance-to-play-spoiler-against-rangers.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=devils-close-out-2015-season-with-chance-to-play-spoiler-against-rangers
http://runningwiththedevils.com/uncategorized/devils-close-out-2015-season-with-chance-to-play-spoiler-against-rangers.html#commentsThu, 02 Apr 2015 07:00:15 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2485The New Jersey Devils have had a disappointing season to say the least. The team has already been removed from playoff contention. Goals were the issue for this New Jersey squad, as they ranked 28th in the NHL in overall goal scoring. They did not have a player who scored over 50 points this season and also did not have a player score more than 30 goals this season. The team still holds an eight-8 point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for the bottom of the division, however they rank fourth-to-last in the Eastern Conference in overall points. In short, this has been a season that New Jersey fans would like to forget. The Devils have two more home games remaining on their schedule, and the players will be tested to see whether or not they are capable of remaining on the roster in 2015-2016. Tickets for the New Jersey Devils’ final two games at the Prudential Center are going for an average price of $159.16 on the secondary market.

The most expensive game will be against the New York Rangers on April 7th. In what will be the final home game of the season, the Devils will take on one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams at the Prudential Center. Tickets for this matchup are going for an average price of $211.33 on the secondary market according to ScoreBig.com. . However, fans can see this great rivalry for $98.00. The Devils might have thought they had a luxury when Henrik Lundqvist went out with injury, however replacement Cam Talbot has proven otherwise. The young goaltender has played fantastically and has allowed the Rangers to shoot up the Eastern Conference standings. Not only that, the Devils will have to try and slow down Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis, one of the most lethal tandems in the NHL. The Rangers a part of the class of the Eastern Conference, so it will be a good way to measure where the team is at. Goaltender Corey Schneider will have to play solid hockey.

Schneider, who has been very underrated thus far, has saved nearly 93% of the shots that have come his way so far this season. He’s only allowing 2.2 goals per game, and he’s helped the Devils stay out of the bottom of the barrel in the Eastern Conference. He will need to show up in a major way against the Rangers if the Devils are to send their fans home with a final victory.

Devils fans making the trip from New York City to the Prudential Center can easily find NYC parking from around $20 and take a short trip from Penn Station.

The least expensive game will come against the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens at the Prudential Center on April 3rd. This matchup should scare the Devils because goals will come at a premium, as they face the NHL’s best goaltender. Carey Price leads the NHL in both goals against average and save percentage. Price is also tied for the league-lead in wins with Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators. Adam Henrique and the offense will have to exploit the Canadiens on the power play. The Devil’s unit has been their one bright spot, as they rank ninth9th in the NHL. Tickets for this matchup are going for an average price of $73.34 on the secondary market. To get into the arena, it will cost as low as $23.00.

]]>http://runningwiththedevils.com/uncategorized/devils-close-out-2015-season-with-chance-to-play-spoiler-against-rangers.html/feed0Disgruntled Patrik Eliashttp://runningwiththedevils.com/uncategorized/disgruntled-patrik-elias.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=disgruntled-patrik-elias
http://runningwiththedevils.com/uncategorized/disgruntled-patrik-elias.html#commentsMon, 09 Mar 2015 19:33:27 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2463We don’t doubt that Patrik Elias will some day have his number in the rafters along side Stevens, Daneyko, Niedermayer and (someday soon) Brodeur. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make him the subject of our “Just Shut Up” award this week. “If they want to play me on the fourth line, I’m not willing […]]]>

We don’t doubt that Patrik Elias will some day have his number in the rafters along side Stevens, Daneyko, Niedermayer and (someday soon) Brodeur. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make him the subject of our “Just Shut Up” award this week.

“If they want to play me on the fourth line, I’m not willing to do that,” Elias told NJ Advance Media. “

Elias is finishing off the second campaign on his three-year, $16.5 million deal. His numbers have been lackluster this season (10-18-28, 56 GP), but keep in mind the Devils are one of the worst scoring teams in the NHL.

He’s confident there would be teams interested in him and what remains of his contract if the Devils don’t want to utilize him the way Patrik Elias feels they should.

This Devils team may be an even bigger disaster than the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. There seem to be disgruntled players everywhere on the roster.

Sadly this organization that was once a model franchise due to its success has fallen so far. Your time has come Lou, please exit graciously.

]]>http://runningwiththedevils.com/uncategorized/disgruntled-patrik-elias.html/feed0Game 64: Devils Knock Off NHL’s Best 3-1http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/game-64-devils-knock-off-nhls-best-3-1.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=game-64-devils-knock-off-nhls-best-3-1
http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/game-64-devils-knock-off-nhls-best-3-1.html#commentsWed, 04 Mar 2015 16:13:45 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2457So let’s just get this part out of the way… Trade deadline day comes and goes and still on our roster are Martin Havlat and Michael Ryder. The first game the Devils play after the trade deadline expires, which happens to be the very next day, both Havlat and Ryder are healthy scratches. On top […]]]>

So let’s just get this part out of the way… Trade deadline day comes and goes and still on our roster are Martin Havlat and Michael Ryder. The first game the Devils play after the trade deadline expires, which happens to be the very next day, both Havlat and Ryder are healthy scratches. On top of that, the Devils decide that they will dress 7 defenseman and threw Peter Harrold on the 4th line with Rutuu and Josefson. I get that that they had a log jam of defensemen due to Severson’s return but why dress Harrold as a wing when you have to healthy scratch guys? If Harrold is a better option on the win than Havlat or Ryder, why are they still here?

I really don’t understand the logic to the way the Devils put their lineup together but having come away with a 3-1 win against the best team in the NHL, you can’t really argue against those decisions….today!!

More thoughts from Last Night

The Devils reach the .500 mark and trail the Boston by 7 points for the final playoff spot (who also have 2 games in hand). It’s still quite a mountain to climb but you have to love the never give up attitude they are exhibiting lately, I just wish we’d seen it throughout the entire season.

After the first twenty minutes, the Devils had every fan feeling good as they just outplayed the best team in the league and out shot them 9-3. Of course if you watched the Rangers/Flyers HBO 24/7 show, you know Peter Laviolette is a fire storm when he’s pissed and the Preds came out like they had been read the riot act for the remainder of the game.

For a guy that’s been out of the lineup for quite some time, I thought Damon Severson looked better than I thought he would. Sure, he looked rusty at times and his defense on the 2-on-1 late in the 1st was not very good but he did make a couple of decent plays, put a couple of shots on net and was able to contribute a little over 16 mins of ice time.

Cory Schneider, what else do I need to say? The guy is unbelievable and I don’t think you could have sold anyone back in 2012 that the goalie that would someday replace Brodeur would be so superb and what we would have to give up to get him wouldn’t be very big. He made 33 saves against the Preds and he’s doing everything in his power to help the Devils pull off a miracle

Adam Larsson had a great game, scoring early and putting in 23 minutes of ice time. He’s certainly turning into the player that NJ thought they’d be getting when they drafted him 5th Like most defenseman, it takes time, a good 200-300 games to find where and how to fit in the NHL and Larsson is progressing nicely. I’m sure there’s a certain ex-head coach that is sitting home and watching this and wondering where this was while he was here. We’ve always been annoyed at the amount of time Larsson spent out of the lineup and are glad to see he’s finally getting regular playing time.

]]>http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/game-64-devils-knock-off-nhls-best-3-1.html/feed0Deadline Day Disappointshttp://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/deadline-day-disappoints.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=deadline-day-disappoints
http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/deadline-day-disappoints.html#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 15:26:25 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2451I won’t lie. The 2015 trade deadline became a very big disappointment. I was certainly hoping to see a very active New Jersey Devils team, shedding contracts for draft picks that would span the next couple of years but instead, we saw the Devils only do 1 deal on deadline day. I didn’t want any […]]]>

I won’t lie. The 2015 trade deadline became a very big disappointment. I was certainly hoping to see a very active New Jersey Devils team, shedding contracts for draft picks that would span the next couple of years but instead, we saw the Devils only do 1 deal on deadline day. I didn’t want any players in return, I wanted picks and holes in the lineup where Lou was forced to bring up guys from Albany. I had suspicions that the only reason the Devils dealt Zidlicky away was because a) Severson was coming back and b) Zidlicky was the only defenseman that Lou would part with that someone was showing interest in. Guys like Harrold, Salvador and Fayne I am guessing didn’t gather any interest whereas guys like Greene, Larsson and Merril were probably guys that Lou wouldn’t even consider moving. Gelinas is still a young player so I don’t think I would have moved him just yet.

Zidlicky Trade

We’d been hearing Zidlicky’s name on the rumor list for a while and given his shot and the few things he can do on the power play, I’m not surprised that Lou was able to move him. (I certainly don’t think he’s “another Brian Rafalksi” like I heard 3 or 4 times yesterday). But was the trade a good trade? The Devils get back a conditional 3rd round pick (becomes a 2nd if Detroit makes the Finals, which lets say right now that they aren’t) and the Devils hang on to $1 Million of Zidlicky’s salary. Certainly not a wonderful deal and was hoping they’d roll this deal right into another deal.

Havlat, Ryder, Gomez?

We’d been hearing for weeks that guys like Ryder and Havlat probably had 1 foot out the door but the 3pm deadline came and their names where still on their locker. Once the “all done” signal from Lou came down, anger and frustration where the immediate feelings that came. Lou couldn’t shed some of these guys for future consideration or was it that he just didn’t want to? We’d been hearing for weeks how he believes the Devils aren’t out of it.

To make it worse, the NHL Network ran a story about the time the Devils traded Tom Kurvers to Toronto for a pick that became the pick the Devils used to draft Scott Niedermayer which of course got my hopes up for the possibilities of what the day would bring.

During the conference call that the Devils hold after every trade deadline, Lou he admitted “several other players” could have been moved today if he had chosen to completely give up on this season. “I don’t feel that way,” Lamoriello said of the Devils being out of the playoff race. This of course was my exact fear as to why we didn’t hear New Jersey’s name more often yesterday.

Nine points out of the final Wild Card spot with 4 teams to jump over and Lamoriello doesn’t feel that the Devils are out of the race? Unable to really put consistent winning streaks together all season unless it’s against teams like Buffalo, Carolina and Arizona (all non-playoff teams) and Lamoriello doesn’t feel the Devils are out of it? What’s it going to take? I know you never want to admit that you’re not a good team but that reality has to come at some point and when you look up and down the stats of this team, you quickly realize the Devils (minus the man between the pipes) are not a good team…AT ALL. Only one player has hit the 20 goal mark and only 2 players currently with the Devils have with the 30 point mark (Jagr also being on that list but no longer here)

I’ve been called many names on Facebook and Twitter for that outlook but that is the reality of the situation. Even if the Devils somehow beat all the odds and snuck into the final Wild Card spot, the likelihood of them getting out of the 1st round isn’t very good. The Devils are 4-13-6 against the teams currently in playoff positions today and haven’t played well all year against the Canadiens, Rangers and Islanders, teams that have a legitimate shot at the 1st overall spot in the East.

Say what you will, call me a negative fan or tell me that my outlook is so poor that I’m not really a fan but the reality is that this team is not a playoff team, isn’t built to be a playoff team and right now the future looks pretty bleak. I’m certainly ok with a “rebuilding phase” but it doesn’t feel like NJ is doing that. With the Rangers continuing to be successful and the Islanders looking to be on the upswing and moving to fancy new digs in Brooklyn next season, are the Devils going to be an attractive team to UFA’s? The rebuild needs to start through draft picks and the opportunity to start gaining valuable picks could have been yesterday but from the dialogue I’ve seen, Lou didn’t feel that way and seems to think the UFA market is still the way to go.

Don’t worry, I will certainly be working on my piece on “Why Lou Must Go” once the Devils are mathematically out of the playoffs but for now, we continue on to see how the Devils finish up their season.

]]>http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/deadline-day-disappoints.html/feed0Devils Trade Jagr to Floridahttp://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/devils-trade-jagr-to-florida.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=devils-trade-jagr-to-florida
http://runningwiththedevils.com/archives/2015-archives/devils-trade-jagr-to-florida.html#commentsThu, 26 Feb 2015 22:00:55 +0000http://runningwiththedevils.com/?p=2448Devils sent 43 year old Jaromir Jagr to Florida in exchange for a 2nd round pick. Jagr has 11 goals and 18 assists in 57 games. Maybe last nights loss to Calgary proved to Lou that the playoffs aren’t happening but a 2nd round pick is a steal for NJ. Jagr was great last season […]]]>

Devils sent 43 year old Jaromir Jagr to Florida in exchange for a 2nd round pick. Jagr has 11 goals and 18 assists in 57 games.

Maybe last nights loss to Calgary proved to Lou that the playoffs aren’t happening but a 2nd round pick is a steal for NJ. Jagr was great last season but has shown every bit of his age this season. I did want to see him go back to Pitt though and finish up where he started.